Just in case someone randomly stumbles upon this and doesn’t already know, I need to start this by saying I do PR for a record label, management company, and booking agent. And by “I do PR” I mean that I’m running PR here. I have no assistant and no boss (other than the owner of the company), it’s just me. I’m in charge of setting up interviews (and making sure the band follows through), sending out promotional mailings for new releases, fixing and updating the websites, and sending promotional materials (including CDs, posters, pictures, etc) out to show promoters.
Now, this was basically what I was doing when I interned at Hopeless this summer (though I was more stuffing, and less planning who things were getting sent to. Oh, and I did less show promo as they had their own booking agents who did their own PR). It’s a very different experience now, however. And the reason is not because I’m in charge of it now, instead of just following orders. Or because I’m the one making first contact with radio stations and press, or talking to the band about what opportunities they have for press. The reason is the bands.
At Hopeless, they were mainly promoting All Time Low, The Human Abstract, There For Tomorrow, and Anarbor. Here, I’m promoting Kid Creole and the Coconuts, the Marshall Tucker Band, Blue Cheer, and a few others. The difference? Here, I work with legends. These bands put out their first albums before my parents even met. At Hopeless, I was working with new bands, who just got signed, or were putting out or touring on their first full-length release on the label. The newer bands were working their asses off to get any notice, even if it was just a local zine that 10 people read (or a 22 year old’s blog that 8 people read). The older bands don’t so much care. They’ve been around long enough to see the ebb and flow of the music industry, to see the good and the bad and everything in between. The newer bands are hoping to get enough notice so they can stick around for one more tour. The older bands don’t give a shit who’s at the shows, as long as they get to keep doing what they love, what they have loved for the past 30+ years.
So what does that mean for me? It means my life is a little bit more difficult now in some ways, but much easier in others. For one, I have to track down band members five minutes before the interview is supposed to start, then get an angry phone call five minutes *after* it was supposed to start from the interviewer, asking why his phone isn’t ringing. I also have to spend a little time convincing bands that they need the press, that this is good for them, and that they need to suck it up, as press is part of their job description.
On the other hand, it means that I have to spend much less time convincing radio stations and newspapers to take my call. These are bands that mean something, they’ve already proven their value, and proven they have staying power. It means that shows and albums sell themselves, the fanbase is wide enough and diverse enough that the kind of person that would go to a Marshall Tucker Band show or buy a Chris Hicks album is going to do it, whether I try to sell it or not. No one has to be introduced to some new band.
However, I still prefer the younger bands. Though they may take more work, they’re willing to do it. They’re gonna bust their asses, because they know if they can’t get the press now, they’re gonna have a difficult time trying to get an album – let alone a review – later. And that attitude is motivating. Much more than talking to a tour manager trying to track down a lead singer.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Digital Movies
I just bought the Chronicles of Narnia on DVD. Actually, it wasn’t on DVD, it was on DVDs. Three DVDs: one with the movie (plus commentaries), one with special features, and one that was a digital copy of the movie, that I now have on my iTunes. And amazingly enough, I think this is one of my best purchases all year!
I’m not a huge Narnia fan. I’ve read the books a few times and quite enjoyed them, but they’re no Potter. The first movie was pretty good, but the kids were all so young that they were somewhat annoying, and they still hadn’t quite decided how they were going to translate the fantasy book to film. The second wasn’t all that much better (though it did add Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian, one of my top three British hotties with co-star William Moseley - Peter Pevensie – and Rob Pattinson – Twilight’s Edward Cullen), though they did work on some of the CGI, which is getting much better with time.
The reason this was my favorite purchase: the digital copy. Such a simple concept, something that iTunes has been doing forever. Put the DVD into your computer, and it automatically uploads onto iTunes (or windows media for non-apple people), then onto your iPod. I don’t particularly like watching something on my iPod, the screen is so small that it starts to hurt my eyes, and I never before felt any great need to have movies on my iPod if I have them downloaded illegally on my laptop.
But I realized this week…digital copies are the smartest thing ever! The movie company can charge a few extra bucks with the DVD if you’re getting two copies of the movie, and consumers aren’t going to complain if they’re paying $20 for the DVD instead of $15 (well, not yet at least). Digital copies exist anyway, why not charge a little extra, and give someone a good quality copy, instead of the crap you get off limewire.
And for people like me, who think they don’t need a copy of a movie on their 1.5 inch by 2 inch iPod screen, let me tell you, there is nothing better than sitting in rainy traffic in LA, listening to Caspian and Peter sword fight…seriously.
I’m not a huge Narnia fan. I’ve read the books a few times and quite enjoyed them, but they’re no Potter. The first movie was pretty good, but the kids were all so young that they were somewhat annoying, and they still hadn’t quite decided how they were going to translate the fantasy book to film. The second wasn’t all that much better (though it did add Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian, one of my top three British hotties with co-star William Moseley - Peter Pevensie – and Rob Pattinson – Twilight’s Edward Cullen), though they did work on some of the CGI, which is getting much better with time.
The reason this was my favorite purchase: the digital copy. Such a simple concept, something that iTunes has been doing forever. Put the DVD into your computer, and it automatically uploads onto iTunes (or windows media for non-apple people), then onto your iPod. I don’t particularly like watching something on my iPod, the screen is so small that it starts to hurt my eyes, and I never before felt any great need to have movies on my iPod if I have them downloaded illegally on my laptop.
But I realized this week…digital copies are the smartest thing ever! The movie company can charge a few extra bucks with the DVD if you’re getting two copies of the movie, and consumers aren’t going to complain if they’re paying $20 for the DVD instead of $15 (well, not yet at least). Digital copies exist anyway, why not charge a little extra, and give someone a good quality copy, instead of the crap you get off limewire.
And for people like me, who think they don’t need a copy of a movie on their 1.5 inch by 2 inch iPod screen, let me tell you, there is nothing better than sitting in rainy traffic in LA, listening to Caspian and Peter sword fight…seriously.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
WARPED TOUR 2009
I want to get a job on Warped Tour 2009. So if you know a band that's looking for a merch person for cheap, let me know.
When I tell most people this (friends, roommates, coworkers), most people don't get it. Why, when I already have a pretty good job in the city I want to live in, would I give it up to live in a van with a bunch of smelly boys for 2 months, eating crap, having to do manual labor for about 15 hours a day, sitting out in the heat with no ac and no break? Why would I give up a steady salary (plus benefits) for a job where the company I work for may or may not be able to actually pay me, where I might be working for tips from 16 year old girls…who don't tip unless you're a cute boy.
Many reasons. To be surrounded by the music I love, and other people who love it. To meet a whole new group of people who I would never get to meet living in the suburbs of Philly or LA. To see how other companies work, learn as much as I can for the future when I try to start my own company.
But mostly for the adventure. Two months on the open road, with nothing but music and music people to keep you company. I'd be meeting new people, new fans every day, as well as sharing something special with the other people on the tour, something none of us will ever forget. It's the perfect mix of hard work and parties, but it doesn't seem like work when you're doing what you love. It'd be a chance for me to see the country, even if most of the seeing I'd be doing would be from the backseat of a van in the middle of the night.
Even if I can't get a job, I still can't wait for Warped Tour 2009, Friday June 26-Sunday August 23...SO STOKED!
When I tell most people this (friends, roommates, coworkers), most people don't get it. Why, when I already have a pretty good job in the city I want to live in, would I give it up to live in a van with a bunch of smelly boys for 2 months, eating crap, having to do manual labor for about 15 hours a day, sitting out in the heat with no ac and no break? Why would I give up a steady salary (plus benefits) for a job where the company I work for may or may not be able to actually pay me, where I might be working for tips from 16 year old girls…who don't tip unless you're a cute boy.
Many reasons. To be surrounded by the music I love, and other people who love it. To meet a whole new group of people who I would never get to meet living in the suburbs of Philly or LA. To see how other companies work, learn as much as I can for the future when I try to start my own company.
But mostly for the adventure. Two months on the open road, with nothing but music and music people to keep you company. I'd be meeting new people, new fans every day, as well as sharing something special with the other people on the tour, something none of us will ever forget. It's the perfect mix of hard work and parties, but it doesn't seem like work when you're doing what you love. It'd be a chance for me to see the country, even if most of the seeing I'd be doing would be from the backseat of a van in the middle of the night.
Even if I can't get a job, I still can't wait for Warped Tour 2009, Friday June 26-Sunday August 23...SO STOKED!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Jack's Mannequin vs. Something Corporate
2005 was obviously a huge year for Andrew McMahon. He was diagnosed with leukemia and released his first album (Everything in Transit) with his side project Jack's Mannequin. But first and foremost, he took a break from his first band, Something Corporate. That's the part I remember most, as I had just seen them live for the first time and was immediately impressed; it was only when I looked at their website to find new tour dates a few months later that I heard about McMahon's medical troubles. At the time, no one knew who Jack's Mannequin was, for good reason: they didn't exist yet. And now they're showing up everywhere. So why didn't this happen for SoCo?
God only knows. I must admit, when I first heard the first JM album, I was upset. More than upset, I was freakin *pissed*. Why did they ruin such an amazing band like Something Corporate for a crappy pop band? SoCo was one of the bands that I used to define the best of the best of emo (up there with Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World): melody rich pop-rock with a powerful, emotional vocal and "deep" (for a teenager) lyrics about, well, being a teenager. Jack's Mannequin, was, well, not. "Mix Tape," the first single, was a very poppy love song. Not like the pained love of "Konstantine":
this is because i can spell confusion with a 'K'
and i can like it
its to dying in anothers arms
and why i had to try it
its to jimmy eat world
and those nights in my car
when the first star you see
may not be a star
im not your star
isnt that what you said
what you thought this song meant
…
this is to a girl who got into my head
with all the pretty things she did
hey ya know you keep me up in bed
this is to a girl who got into my head
with all these fucked up things i did
Compare that to the hopeful love of "Mix Tape":
Where are you now?
As I'm swimming through the stereo
I'm writing you a symphony of sound
Where are you now?
As I rearrange the songs again
This mix could burn a hole in anyone
But it was you I was thinking of
How could anyone honestly prefer that mushy shallow love to such honest pain? And how could such an honest and talented lead singer go from Something Corporate to Jack's Mannequin?
Having grown up a little myself since I first started to listen to SoCo (my first SoCo show was January of my freshman year of college; I have since graduated and moved cross country and am living pretty much as a grown up), I'm finally starting to get it. Don't get me wrong, I still love SoCo much more than JM, and the second SoCo goes on tour again, I'm singing up for whatever I need to to get the first presale tickets before they all sell out. But I understand the control of emotion that comes through in JM. He still feels mostly the same as he did before (though I'm sure his idea of "struggle" has changed immensely since fighting leukemia), you just get more of a handle on expressing it with age.
I have found – when going back through my itunes – that my own tastes have changed greatly since 2005. I would have laughed at myself if I knew then what I'd like now. Brittany and N'Sync still annoy the crap outta me (and yes, I still think Justin Timberlake looks like a cross between a monkey and a dog, and I'm even *less* convinced now he has any talent than I was then). But I would have been much more willing (and eager) to sit through a screamo band than I am now. In general, the music I listened to then was much harder than what it is now (then, it was more pop-PUNK, now it's more POP-punk). This trend is even clear in the bands themselves: compare Yellowcard's Midget Tossing (one of their earliest hardest albums), or even The Underdog EP to Paper Walls; how about All Time Low's Three Words to Remember against So Wrong It's Right.
This recent revelation has led me to this question: who's doing the growing? Do bands naturally begin to create more gentle pop-y music as they age? Or is it the fans' fault? Do bands tone it down to appeal to a more grown-up fan base (including their aging original fans)? Or am I being too naïve? Is it really the fault of the industry? The first (few) albums are made entirely by the bands, doing whatever they want with little supervision from the industry people who need to worry about the bottom line; after a while though, they need to broaden their fan base to pay for that next album, which leads them in a more pop direction.
I don't know what the answer is, I wish I did. That way I'd be able to predict more easily who was going to make it big next (and I could befriend them now – yay free concert tickets!). The only thing I know is that I'm still going to love Something Corporate no matter what. Oh, and I'll always hate Brittany.
God only knows. I must admit, when I first heard the first JM album, I was upset. More than upset, I was freakin *pissed*. Why did they ruin such an amazing band like Something Corporate for a crappy pop band? SoCo was one of the bands that I used to define the best of the best of emo (up there with Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World): melody rich pop-rock with a powerful, emotional vocal and "deep" (for a teenager) lyrics about, well, being a teenager. Jack's Mannequin, was, well, not. "Mix Tape," the first single, was a very poppy love song. Not like the pained love of "Konstantine":
this is because i can spell confusion with a 'K'
and i can like it
its to dying in anothers arms
and why i had to try it
its to jimmy eat world
and those nights in my car
when the first star you see
may not be a star
im not your star
isnt that what you said
what you thought this song meant
…
this is to a girl who got into my head
with all the pretty things she did
hey ya know you keep me up in bed
this is to a girl who got into my head
with all these fucked up things i did
Compare that to the hopeful love of "Mix Tape":
Where are you now?
As I'm swimming through the stereo
I'm writing you a symphony of sound
Where are you now?
As I rearrange the songs again
This mix could burn a hole in anyone
But it was you I was thinking of
How could anyone honestly prefer that mushy shallow love to such honest pain? And how could such an honest and talented lead singer go from Something Corporate to Jack's Mannequin?
Having grown up a little myself since I first started to listen to SoCo (my first SoCo show was January of my freshman year of college; I have since graduated and moved cross country and am living pretty much as a grown up), I'm finally starting to get it. Don't get me wrong, I still love SoCo much more than JM, and the second SoCo goes on tour again, I'm singing up for whatever I need to to get the first presale tickets before they all sell out. But I understand the control of emotion that comes through in JM. He still feels mostly the same as he did before (though I'm sure his idea of "struggle" has changed immensely since fighting leukemia), you just get more of a handle on expressing it with age.
I have found – when going back through my itunes – that my own tastes have changed greatly since 2005. I would have laughed at myself if I knew then what I'd like now. Brittany and N'Sync still annoy the crap outta me (and yes, I still think Justin Timberlake looks like a cross between a monkey and a dog, and I'm even *less* convinced now he has any talent than I was then). But I would have been much more willing (and eager) to sit through a screamo band than I am now. In general, the music I listened to then was much harder than what it is now (then, it was more pop-PUNK, now it's more POP-punk). This trend is even clear in the bands themselves: compare Yellowcard's Midget Tossing (one of their earliest hardest albums), or even The Underdog EP to Paper Walls; how about All Time Low's Three Words to Remember against So Wrong It's Right.
This recent revelation has led me to this question: who's doing the growing? Do bands naturally begin to create more gentle pop-y music as they age? Or is it the fans' fault? Do bands tone it down to appeal to a more grown-up fan base (including their aging original fans)? Or am I being too naïve? Is it really the fault of the industry? The first (few) albums are made entirely by the bands, doing whatever they want with little supervision from the industry people who need to worry about the bottom line; after a while though, they need to broaden their fan base to pay for that next album, which leads them in a more pop direction.
I don't know what the answer is, I wish I did. That way I'd be able to predict more easily who was going to make it big next (and I could befriend them now – yay free concert tickets!). The only thing I know is that I'm still going to love Something Corporate no matter what. Oh, and I'll always hate Brittany.
Friday, December 5, 2008
PHILLY PRIDE
I’m proud with very little reason to be. And I do this a lot. Watching All Time Low grow from being an unknown opener at the HFStival, having won a local band competition, to selling out headlining tours and having some of the biggest crowds at Warped Tour, it makes me proud. Sure, I may have told a few people about them, spread their popularity a little, and I did do some promotional work for them at Hopeless, but their success is due to their efforts, not mine. And yet, I’m still proud of them every time I remember them played Warped Tour in Scranton, PA in August of 2006.
A few weeks ago, I went to see Anarbor with some of the people I worked with at Hopeless. The headlining band I had never heard of, and at the time I figured I was just going to head home after Anarbor, as I had work the next morning. But while I was waiting for my tickets, I started talking to some of the guys in Anarbor, when one of the other band members came out. His name was Dan, and he let me know he was in the headlining band, The Scenic. After a few minutes of conversation, I found out he was from Doylestown, right near where my sister is getting married in May. Before he went back inside to watch the show, he asked me to stick around for their set, as their audiences had been somewhat lackluster the past few days.
The set was pretty good. They were obviously a very polished, practiced band, and they had some fun, catchy songs. Though the crowd wasn’t huge, they did have a decent amount of energy, and they were obviously having fun. So when I went up to talk to the guitarist I had talked to before the show, he was surprised and excited to see that I had stayed. He made sure to talk to me for a few minutes before I had to leave, and asked me to come out to see them when they came back to Hollywood for a Battle of the Bands in December.
Now, I talked to this kid for maybe 15 minutes before the show, and 10 minutes after. On top of that, a few weeks had passed in between our first meeting and the Battle of the Bands show last night. When I saw him walking away from the vans and towards the line, just checking out how many people were there, I figured I would go over and re-introduce myself, and after a few minutes of talking, he might remember me. However, when he saw me walking over to him, his face lit up. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming tonight!” he screamed over to me. Not only did he recognize my face, but he remembered where he met me, and the conversation we had about Philly bands a few weeks back.
Some bands, when faced with a new level of fame (and therefore a new loss of privacy) shy away. They unfriend people on myspace and facebook; they stop signing autographs; they go straight from backstage to the tour vehicle. Now, these guys are still pretty small-time, and who knows what they’re going to do in the future, if they will become more reclusive. For now, however, having just been signed and done a pretty decent sized national tour, no one can complain that they were hard to reach. Not only were they all walking around the venue before the show, they stopped and talked to anyone who would talk to them, and thanked everyone who joined in for their mid-set conga line (because no one is too cool for a conga line). After the show, they were all at the merch booth, talking to fans (both old and new), shaking with joy: they had just been invited by Kevin Lyman (founder/owner of Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos tour, etc) to play the “Kevin Says” stage at warped tour this summer, as they didn’t win the battle of the bands competition (though they were his favorite).
This is the new music era. Before, it was all about the mystique of a band: they were gods, not real people. Though specific personal details might have been shared, bands weren’t there to interact personally with fans. Look at KISS, the very definition of mystique: how long was it before anyone knew what they looked like underneath the makeup? Now that has changed. Modern bands – and especially those bands aimed at the younger audiences, those under 25 – are all about personalization. The most popular bands are the ones that make an effort to get to know the audience, and let the audience get to know them. Every band has at least one video camera running at all times, and myspace pages are filled with band pranks and long tour ride videos. Fans today know exactly what the inside of the tour van looks like, without ever having been inside it. They also know all the girlfriends, tour crew, pets, favorite foods, most popular tour games, everything.
Many major acts are still trying to avoid this, but the truth is that secrecy just angers and annoys fans. The Scenic is not the best band I’ve ever heard, and I’m honestly not sure if they’re really gonna do anything more than what they’re doing now: small shows with mediocre crowds. But they found a supporter in me, just by being human.
www.myspace.com/thescenic
A few weeks ago, I went to see Anarbor with some of the people I worked with at Hopeless. The headlining band I had never heard of, and at the time I figured I was just going to head home after Anarbor, as I had work the next morning. But while I was waiting for my tickets, I started talking to some of the guys in Anarbor, when one of the other band members came out. His name was Dan, and he let me know he was in the headlining band, The Scenic. After a few minutes of conversation, I found out he was from Doylestown, right near where my sister is getting married in May. Before he went back inside to watch the show, he asked me to stick around for their set, as their audiences had been somewhat lackluster the past few days.
The set was pretty good. They were obviously a very polished, practiced band, and they had some fun, catchy songs. Though the crowd wasn’t huge, they did have a decent amount of energy, and they were obviously having fun. So when I went up to talk to the guitarist I had talked to before the show, he was surprised and excited to see that I had stayed. He made sure to talk to me for a few minutes before I had to leave, and asked me to come out to see them when they came back to Hollywood for a Battle of the Bands in December.
Now, I talked to this kid for maybe 15 minutes before the show, and 10 minutes after. On top of that, a few weeks had passed in between our first meeting and the Battle of the Bands show last night. When I saw him walking away from the vans and towards the line, just checking out how many people were there, I figured I would go over and re-introduce myself, and after a few minutes of talking, he might remember me. However, when he saw me walking over to him, his face lit up. “Hey! I didn’t know you were coming tonight!” he screamed over to me. Not only did he recognize my face, but he remembered where he met me, and the conversation we had about Philly bands a few weeks back.
Some bands, when faced with a new level of fame (and therefore a new loss of privacy) shy away. They unfriend people on myspace and facebook; they stop signing autographs; they go straight from backstage to the tour vehicle. Now, these guys are still pretty small-time, and who knows what they’re going to do in the future, if they will become more reclusive. For now, however, having just been signed and done a pretty decent sized national tour, no one can complain that they were hard to reach. Not only were they all walking around the venue before the show, they stopped and talked to anyone who would talk to them, and thanked everyone who joined in for their mid-set conga line (because no one is too cool for a conga line). After the show, they were all at the merch booth, talking to fans (both old and new), shaking with joy: they had just been invited by Kevin Lyman (founder/owner of Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos tour, etc) to play the “Kevin Says” stage at warped tour this summer, as they didn’t win the battle of the bands competition (though they were his favorite).
This is the new music era. Before, it was all about the mystique of a band: they were gods, not real people. Though specific personal details might have been shared, bands weren’t there to interact personally with fans. Look at KISS, the very definition of mystique: how long was it before anyone knew what they looked like underneath the makeup? Now that has changed. Modern bands – and especially those bands aimed at the younger audiences, those under 25 – are all about personalization. The most popular bands are the ones that make an effort to get to know the audience, and let the audience get to know them. Every band has at least one video camera running at all times, and myspace pages are filled with band pranks and long tour ride videos. Fans today know exactly what the inside of the tour van looks like, without ever having been inside it. They also know all the girlfriends, tour crew, pets, favorite foods, most popular tour games, everything.
Many major acts are still trying to avoid this, but the truth is that secrecy just angers and annoys fans. The Scenic is not the best band I’ve ever heard, and I’m honestly not sure if they’re really gonna do anything more than what they’re doing now: small shows with mediocre crowds. But they found a supporter in me, just by being human.
www.myspace.com/thescenic
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Yay Random!
Happy (belated) Turkey Day!
I know, I took some time off for the holiday, wasn’t planning on it, but then the weekend just got away from me. I wanted to tie up a few odds and ends before writing a new blog on, well, music (cuz I totally said that’s what I’d be writing about in the first place).
So just to get it out of my system, I have a new lesbian crush. Her name is Cleolinda, and all I know about her is that she cracks up my inner 16 year old. She compares Twilight to porn without plot, staring emo-Bella, SPARKLEPIRES (that would be vampires who sparkle…get it….vamPIREs…who SPARKLE…I guess it’s funnier if you read her recaps), and Native American boys (and girl) who FURSPLODE! She writes about 15 different livejournal blogs in which she mostly just parodies things I love so that I love them even more: Harry Potter, Lost, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, all of it. Basically, I really wish (a) I had her awesome sense of humor and (b) I could invent words like Sparklepire and use phrases like “omgsomeen.” She also invented (well, maybe not invented, but brought to my attention) the game “Horrify the Twilight Noob,” in which a Twihard (or slightly less obsessed fan) will talk about the awesomeness of the books to someone who’s never read them, and they will get so confused their head will explode. Her example:
“OH HOLY SHIT ARE WE GONNA PLAY HORRIFY THE TWILIGHT NOOB AGAIN? I LOVE THIS GAME!Yeah, he thinks Bella's killed herself (it's a loooong damn story), so he goes to the capital vampire city in Italy (look, don't ask me) and he's going to fling off his shirt and sparkle in public at high noon, because he knows the ruling vampire whoevers will tackle him first and kill him--you know that expression "suicide by cop"? Kind of like that. So of course Bella finds out, and she has to run across the city in a race against time to stop him. In my head, it happens in slo-mo, and there's a Big No ("NOOOOOOOOO") involved.”
http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Twilight#HorrifytheTwilightNoob
Feel free to check out all things “in 15 minutes,” because I do occasionally quote them (“I think I saw a porno like this once…”)
http://community.livejournal.com/m15m
Second of all, I *finally* got caught up on my Preston and Steve podcasts, thus I’m on to catching up on AP podcasts. And you know what one of the first things they talked about on the most recent podcast was? LEAD SINGER SYNDROM. Yes, I have my finger on the pulse of America. Well, at least on the pulse of AP. For serious, when interviewing Anberlin, they talked about how RYAN KEY (and I’m gonna say it now because they said it first; for those who didn’t already know, yes, I was talking about Ryan Key, the asshole who began my hatred of all things LSS) was the most infamous example, and how he even admitted burning bridges by his asshole-ness. Boo ya grandma. Just sayin.
Finally, AP just put out their list of albums they’re looking forward to hearing in 2009. On the list? Green Day (which I almost shit myself when I saw, because you know any new Green Day album is gonna be amazing), All Time Low (which I have low expectations for, after hearing Alex’s song dissing…um… “the record industry,” plus I’ve heard the demos SUCK), and a whole crapton of people I don’t really care about. You wanna know why the music industry is failing? Because no one cares about the new album. It’s all about the new tour. Don’t believe me? I went to a concert (a *sold-out* concert) Saturday night, where half the crowd was just chillin outside for a large portion of the show. And almost everyone left with merch. So just put out your album online, and tour a crapton, cuz apparently shows are the new hangout (I’m not gonna lie, I kinda miss the days of just chillin at the mall, but every generation needs its own “Mallrats”).
Later this week I will for real write something music (and not Twilight) related. PSBTW, if you want me to listen to/comment about a band you like, comment with myspace link and I shall listen.
I know, I took some time off for the holiday, wasn’t planning on it, but then the weekend just got away from me. I wanted to tie up a few odds and ends before writing a new blog on, well, music (cuz I totally said that’s what I’d be writing about in the first place).
So just to get it out of my system, I have a new lesbian crush. Her name is Cleolinda, and all I know about her is that she cracks up my inner 16 year old. She compares Twilight to porn without plot, staring emo-Bella, SPARKLEPIRES (that would be vampires who sparkle…get it….vamPIREs…who SPARKLE…I guess it’s funnier if you read her recaps), and Native American boys (and girl) who FURSPLODE! She writes about 15 different livejournal blogs in which she mostly just parodies things I love so that I love them even more: Harry Potter, Lost, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, all of it. Basically, I really wish (a) I had her awesome sense of humor and (b) I could invent words like Sparklepire and use phrases like “omgsomeen.” She also invented (well, maybe not invented, but brought to my attention) the game “Horrify the Twilight Noob,” in which a Twihard (or slightly less obsessed fan) will talk about the awesomeness of the books to someone who’s never read them, and they will get so confused their head will explode. Her example:
“OH HOLY SHIT ARE WE GONNA PLAY HORRIFY THE TWILIGHT NOOB AGAIN? I LOVE THIS GAME!Yeah, he thinks Bella's killed herself (it's a loooong damn story), so he goes to the capital vampire city in Italy (look, don't ask me) and he's going to fling off his shirt and sparkle in public at high noon, because he knows the ruling vampire whoevers will tackle him first and kill him--you know that expression "suicide by cop"? Kind of like that. So of course Bella finds out, and she has to run across the city in a race against time to stop him. In my head, it happens in slo-mo, and there's a Big No ("NOOOOOOOOO") involved.”
http://cleoland.pbwiki.com/Twilight#HorrifytheTwilightNoob
Feel free to check out all things “in 15 minutes,” because I do occasionally quote them (“I think I saw a porno like this once…”)
http://community.livejournal.com/m15m
Second of all, I *finally* got caught up on my Preston and Steve podcasts, thus I’m on to catching up on AP podcasts. And you know what one of the first things they talked about on the most recent podcast was? LEAD SINGER SYNDROM. Yes, I have my finger on the pulse of America. Well, at least on the pulse of AP. For serious, when interviewing Anberlin, they talked about how RYAN KEY (and I’m gonna say it now because they said it first; for those who didn’t already know, yes, I was talking about Ryan Key, the asshole who began my hatred of all things LSS) was the most infamous example, and how he even admitted burning bridges by his asshole-ness. Boo ya grandma. Just sayin.
Finally, AP just put out their list of albums they’re looking forward to hearing in 2009. On the list? Green Day (which I almost shit myself when I saw, because you know any new Green Day album is gonna be amazing), All Time Low (which I have low expectations for, after hearing Alex’s song dissing…um… “the record industry,” plus I’ve heard the demos SUCK), and a whole crapton of people I don’t really care about. You wanna know why the music industry is failing? Because no one cares about the new album. It’s all about the new tour. Don’t believe me? I went to a concert (a *sold-out* concert) Saturday night, where half the crowd was just chillin outside for a large portion of the show. And almost everyone left with merch. So just put out your album online, and tour a crapton, cuz apparently shows are the new hangout (I’m not gonna lie, I kinda miss the days of just chillin at the mall, but every generation needs its own “Mallrats”).
Later this week I will for real write something music (and not Twilight) related. PSBTW, if you want me to listen to/comment about a band you like, comment with myspace link and I shall listen.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Lead Singer Syndrom
In editing my first blog, I realized I mentioned – but never explained – LSS, or lead singer syndrome. As a hardcore fanatical fan of two bands (and two bands only), I don't have a wide-spread knowledge of this problem, its origins, who has it, and how much of a problem it really is. But also as a hardcore fanatical fan of two bands, I have seen it take down one, and start to destroy the other. For the singer's sake, I will try to leave out some details that I have heard (some of which I know are true, some I'm not too sure), including the band's name (though I'm sure it won't be too hard to figure this one out if I keep writing and you keep reading this blog).
As taught in my first term-paper-writing-classes, I should first define my terms. Lead Singer Syndrom is the condition a lead singer of a semi-successful to successful may get as they rise to fame. Symptoms include a new found egotistical and arrogant nature (and I'm pretty sure that this only occurs *after* people start to ask for autographs at shows and they get a little "famous" within the genre, though I can't be 100% sure, they may have had the ego to start with), and a general lack of interest in/anger at the fans, including being bothered by autograph and picture requests, and passing presents off to tour managers and other handlers in front of the gifter.
So what happens? Well, in my experience, it's the band dream come true: a hard working band gets signed (usually at a pretty early age, like 17-19), and they start touring. Soon, they're headlining, getting recognized walking around the mall the day of the show, getting 100+ myspace messages a day, and getting one or two freaky stalker fans in addition to the legion of teenies who declare (daily, and in a multitude of message boards, facebook walls, and myspace blogs) that they love said lead singer, and they want to get married.
For some band members, it's a dream come true which they obsess over and cherish, in case it doesn't last. Sometimes, however, the lead singer lets it go to their head. They would be famous even without the legions of teenies who promote them and force all their friends to go to the shows. They're talented on their own right, they don't need a label telling them what to do. Sometimes it's aimed at a specific group or person, sometimes it manifests itself as fear, sometimes as annoyance, and sometimes as anger.
The bottom line is this: it pisses off fans. Though I'm sure most people don't know - or care – why one of my favorite bands is currently not touring, there is a small but hard core group of us who have seen the lead singer shy away from fans, running onto the tour bus while the rest of the bands takes pictures, signs autographs, and just hang out (playing football, drinking in parking lots, watching a roadie do magic tricks…true story). There is a reason why we have arguments over who gives the best hugs in the world, Dez or smackin' Mackin, and why the lead singer of said band is not involved in that conversation. And we are upset with him for ruining something that was so important to us.
You want to be a rockstar? You want to get a fanbase to follow your every move, and therefore promote every little thing you do (like buying the most ridiculous merch in the world…honestly, pillow cases and dolls?!?!? What are you, Barbie?), BE NICE and BE INVOLVED!!! These days, it's all about how many posts you can make on your myspace blog, even if they are as dumb as "Today we're on the road, and I just had the most amazing Panda Express I've ever had." It's about how many pictures you can take making a goofy face, and how many people can tag you in those pictures. It's opening up about everything in your life, from arguments with friends to your favorite brand of cookie (because fans will bring you those cookies…if you doubt it, ask Alex Gaskarth how many things of Milanos he would get every show). This isn't the Wizard of Oz people, you are not all-powerful, and kids get annoyed when you think you are (myself included). So pull down the curtain, and admit the fact that you can't really perform magic…but that roadie can
As taught in my first term-paper-writing-classes, I should first define my terms. Lead Singer Syndrom is the condition a lead singer of a semi-successful to successful may get as they rise to fame. Symptoms include a new found egotistical and arrogant nature (and I'm pretty sure that this only occurs *after* people start to ask for autographs at shows and they get a little "famous" within the genre, though I can't be 100% sure, they may have had the ego to start with), and a general lack of interest in/anger at the fans, including being bothered by autograph and picture requests, and passing presents off to tour managers and other handlers in front of the gifter.
So what happens? Well, in my experience, it's the band dream come true: a hard working band gets signed (usually at a pretty early age, like 17-19), and they start touring. Soon, they're headlining, getting recognized walking around the mall the day of the show, getting 100+ myspace messages a day, and getting one or two freaky stalker fans in addition to the legion of teenies who declare (daily, and in a multitude of message boards, facebook walls, and myspace blogs) that they love said lead singer, and they want to get married.
For some band members, it's a dream come true which they obsess over and cherish, in case it doesn't last. Sometimes, however, the lead singer lets it go to their head. They would be famous even without the legions of teenies who promote them and force all their friends to go to the shows. They're talented on their own right, they don't need a label telling them what to do. Sometimes it's aimed at a specific group or person, sometimes it manifests itself as fear, sometimes as annoyance, and sometimes as anger.
The bottom line is this: it pisses off fans. Though I'm sure most people don't know - or care – why one of my favorite bands is currently not touring, there is a small but hard core group of us who have seen the lead singer shy away from fans, running onto the tour bus while the rest of the bands takes pictures, signs autographs, and just hang out (playing football, drinking in parking lots, watching a roadie do magic tricks…true story). There is a reason why we have arguments over who gives the best hugs in the world, Dez or smackin' Mackin, and why the lead singer of said band is not involved in that conversation. And we are upset with him for ruining something that was so important to us.
You want to be a rockstar? You want to get a fanbase to follow your every move, and therefore promote every little thing you do (like buying the most ridiculous merch in the world…honestly, pillow cases and dolls?!?!? What are you, Barbie?), BE NICE and BE INVOLVED!!! These days, it's all about how many posts you can make on your myspace blog, even if they are as dumb as "Today we're on the road, and I just had the most amazing Panda Express I've ever had." It's about how many pictures you can take making a goofy face, and how many people can tag you in those pictures. It's opening up about everything in your life, from arguments with friends to your favorite brand of cookie (because fans will bring you those cookies…if you doubt it, ask Alex Gaskarth how many things of Milanos he would get every show). This isn't the Wizard of Oz people, you are not all-powerful, and kids get annoyed when you think you are (myself included). So pull down the curtain, and admit the fact that you can't really perform magic…but that roadie can
Friday, November 21, 2008
TWILIGHT
Suck it up, I’m gonna talk about it. People need to stop mocking teenies for loving things like Twilight while the WWE is still making money, that's all I'm sayin'.
It wasn’t quite what I expected. Though I’m sure all of my film major roommates and friends would disagree, I actually was impressed with the cinematography. It surprisingly felt like they thought about shots, angles, dream sequences and random flashbacks. Which is unusual if you were to compare Twilight to movies made for a similar age range *cough*High School Musical*cough*.
The acting wasn’t great. Some of Edward’s subtleties were made painfully obvious (ok, not that many, but the first Bio class when he first smells her…and *covers his nose*?!?!?!? Vamps don’t need to cover their nose, they just don’t breathe. Come on now.). And someone needs to teach Bella how to hyperventilate…or show any kind of emotion other than the shy awkward go-to emotion. Unfortunately, the best cast kid was Jacob (damnit, I hate that kid), though Jessica came in a close second (so nice to see her as the Alpha girl after being the blond’s bitch in Camp). And why is Angela suddenly a Jess-clone? She’s supposed to be the one *good* friend to Bella, which is why Edward sets her up with Ben in the book (well, in his version of the book).
And as it is with all movies that are made from books, they did change a few things: the bad vamps played a part much earlier in the movie, Jacob doesn’t tell Bella about the “Cold Ones,” and they cut out the awesome Bella faints in Bio when blood testing scene, which always cracks me up. The one that really pissed me off though, was that they threw in a line for Twihards that doesn’t really make sense in the context. When Bella confronts Edward about his vampiness, he comes right out with the line, “You are my brand of heroin.” Now, in the movie, it’s a total WTF moment, because it’s out of NOWHERE. In the book, they’re having a deep and emotional conversation about the possibility of a future for them, and Edward’s trying to tell Bella how dangerous he is.
He makes the comparison of putting an ex-alcoholic in the room with a glass of wine (or whatever it was), versus putting him in a room with a finely aged scotch. (Yes, I'm sure I got this wrong, but I don't currently have my book with me, so I'm relying on my memory, which we all know is crap. Correct me if you honestly care that much.) Realizing this isn’t an intense enough analogy, he changes our friendly alcoholic to a junkie in a room with heroin, from which comes the line, “you are exactly my brand of heroin.” The way he says it in the book is amazing: it sweet, and beautiful, and you love him even more for it, even though he’s saying it to push Bella away, to convince her of his danger to her.
And the growth of their relationship in the book is awesome: they go from not being able to sit next to each other, to barely being able to touch, to – after weeks of dating – finally kissing, a first kiss that most girls wish was theirs. Now, this is the one time that the movie kicked the book’s ass, though again if you hadn’t read the book, the reaction wouldn’t make quite as much sense.
In the book, it takes Edward great control to stop himself before he looses his “human” sense not to kill her, which is why he pushes Bella off of him when they kiss. In the movie, it takes probably 30-40 seconds between him leaning in to kiss her and him actually kissing her. It’s awkward, but you know it’s him testing his self-control, which is actually really endearing. They have a quick peck, then Bella attacks him…but in the movie, Edward attacks back…totally hot! And this is when every 16 year old girl in the audience squealed with joy, because honestly, who didn’t want to be in a t-shirt and undies in bed with Edward (though, I’m sure we all could have done without the phone call from mom which ended when Edward showed up, overhearing mom’s last bit of advice: “be safe!!!”)
Ok, so enough rambling about random bits and pieces. Overall, if I were a critic, I would give it something in the C range. Decent story, overall decent acting, decent script, nothing special. But as a fan, I give it an A. Why? Because for most of us, we don’t need the Oscars to approve to find something entertaining as hell. And it was. And I’m sure everyone in that theater agreed with me. There was a huge cheer at the end of the movie (not to mention the various giggles at awkwardness and squeals at kisses), and everyone left the theater laughing, joking, and excited about being able to talk about the amazing time they had in the last two hours.
So I say see it. Put aside expectations (both good from the book, and bad from the haters and in my case mockers), and spend two hours enjoying a good old fashioned fairy tale.
By the way, some things I noticed:
There were actually parents there without kids
There were guys without girls
I was in the minority – I don’t own *any* Twilight merch
In my quiet suburban town, they had three screens running for the midnight show, and they’ve got it running every half an hour tonight.
NPR just did a mini feature on the opening (so it’s gotta be a big deal)
It wasn’t quite what I expected. Though I’m sure all of my film major roommates and friends would disagree, I actually was impressed with the cinematography. It surprisingly felt like they thought about shots, angles, dream sequences and random flashbacks. Which is unusual if you were to compare Twilight to movies made for a similar age range *cough*High School Musical*cough*.
The acting wasn’t great. Some of Edward’s subtleties were made painfully obvious (ok, not that many, but the first Bio class when he first smells her…and *covers his nose*?!?!?!? Vamps don’t need to cover their nose, they just don’t breathe. Come on now.). And someone needs to teach Bella how to hyperventilate…or show any kind of emotion other than the shy awkward go-to emotion. Unfortunately, the best cast kid was Jacob (damnit, I hate that kid), though Jessica came in a close second (so nice to see her as the Alpha girl after being the blond’s bitch in Camp). And why is Angela suddenly a Jess-clone? She’s supposed to be the one *good* friend to Bella, which is why Edward sets her up with Ben in the book (well, in his version of the book).
And as it is with all movies that are made from books, they did change a few things: the bad vamps played a part much earlier in the movie, Jacob doesn’t tell Bella about the “Cold Ones,” and they cut out the awesome Bella faints in Bio when blood testing scene, which always cracks me up. The one that really pissed me off though, was that they threw in a line for Twihards that doesn’t really make sense in the context. When Bella confronts Edward about his vampiness, he comes right out with the line, “You are my brand of heroin.” Now, in the movie, it’s a total WTF moment, because it’s out of NOWHERE. In the book, they’re having a deep and emotional conversation about the possibility of a future for them, and Edward’s trying to tell Bella how dangerous he is.
He makes the comparison of putting an ex-alcoholic in the room with a glass of wine (or whatever it was), versus putting him in a room with a finely aged scotch. (Yes, I'm sure I got this wrong, but I don't currently have my book with me, so I'm relying on my memory, which we all know is crap. Correct me if you honestly care that much.) Realizing this isn’t an intense enough analogy, he changes our friendly alcoholic to a junkie in a room with heroin, from which comes the line, “you are exactly my brand of heroin.” The way he says it in the book is amazing: it sweet, and beautiful, and you love him even more for it, even though he’s saying it to push Bella away, to convince her of his danger to her.
And the growth of their relationship in the book is awesome: they go from not being able to sit next to each other, to barely being able to touch, to – after weeks of dating – finally kissing, a first kiss that most girls wish was theirs. Now, this is the one time that the movie kicked the book’s ass, though again if you hadn’t read the book, the reaction wouldn’t make quite as much sense.
In the book, it takes Edward great control to stop himself before he looses his “human” sense not to kill her, which is why he pushes Bella off of him when they kiss. In the movie, it takes probably 30-40 seconds between him leaning in to kiss her and him actually kissing her. It’s awkward, but you know it’s him testing his self-control, which is actually really endearing. They have a quick peck, then Bella attacks him…but in the movie, Edward attacks back…totally hot! And this is when every 16 year old girl in the audience squealed with joy, because honestly, who didn’t want to be in a t-shirt and undies in bed with Edward (though, I’m sure we all could have done without the phone call from mom which ended when Edward showed up, overhearing mom’s last bit of advice: “be safe!!!”)
Ok, so enough rambling about random bits and pieces. Overall, if I were a critic, I would give it something in the C range. Decent story, overall decent acting, decent script, nothing special. But as a fan, I give it an A. Why? Because for most of us, we don’t need the Oscars to approve to find something entertaining as hell. And it was. And I’m sure everyone in that theater agreed with me. There was a huge cheer at the end of the movie (not to mention the various giggles at awkwardness and squeals at kisses), and everyone left the theater laughing, joking, and excited about being able to talk about the amazing time they had in the last two hours.
So I say see it. Put aside expectations (both good from the book, and bad from the haters and in my case mockers), and spend two hours enjoying a good old fashioned fairy tale.
By the way, some things I noticed:
There were actually parents there without kids
There were guys without girls
I was in the minority – I don’t own *any* Twilight merch
In my quiet suburban town, they had three screens running for the midnight show, and they’ve got it running every half an hour tonight.
NPR just did a mini feature on the opening (so it’s gotta be a big deal)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Crap Culture
I like crap. Not, you know, actual feces, but things that have little redeeming artistic value. I admit this freely. And I don't think it's a bad thing, as long as you don't try to pass it off as a work of genius.
Exhibit A: Gossip Girls. It's Dawson's Creek meets Cruel Intentions. Neither of which were good, but enjoyable. Gossip Girls doesn't have amazing acting, or great scripts. Even the premise makes me want to rip out my hair: a bunch of rich kids running around New York complaining about how their daddy took their T-Bird away…and instead *only* gave them a private limo and a vespa, a Guchi bag and a shopping spree at some Paris designer store. It says that the abuse of money is ok, and that our culture – so focused on the public and humiliating downfall of celebrities – is entertaining and worth our time. It's horrible. And I should hate it. But I almost cried when Jenny showed up for Thanksgiving dinner, and I could not speak when Blair had sex with Chuck. Because I am completely addicted to Gossip Girls.
Exhibit B: Twilight. Horribly written. I'm sure the movie's not gonna be much better. The plots are ridiculous, and the fact that the first book should really be two books, as there are two separate stories contained in the book (the love story and mystery of the Cullen family, then the hunt for Bella) drives me crazy every time I read it (and yes, I have read it multiple times, once while reading Edward's version at the same time). There is no amazing theme like the Harry Potter books, such as questioning the definition of good and evil. But I love me some Twilight, and I already bought my tickets for 12:01am Friday morning for the first movie.
Exhibit C: Pop-Punk, case in point, All Time Low. Though they have grown up a small amount since I first saw them, for the most part they're still the high-school pranksters that idolize the dick and fart jokes of Blink-182. They can play better than some crappy garage bands…but that's not saying much. They can write some fun and pretty lyrics, but they're no "Beatles" writing "Imagine." But I have seen them now 18 times, and have driven 3+ hours to see them.
I have been told – by more than one person - that my generation has great crap-detectors. The reason why people stopped paying attention to us was because they didn't know how to sell us stuff. But somehow, these crappy things are getting through. Because I watch Gossip Girl every Monday night, and I've spent probably more than 50 bucks on Twilight *before* the $10 movie tickets, and god knows I'm still spending money on All Time Low concert tickets (as well as Boys Like Girls, Valencia, Cobra Starship, Cute is What We Aim For…).
The only explanation I have is pretty obvious: because they're fun. I work in Beverly Hills, and live in Monterey Park. I'm out of my house from 8am to almost 8pm. Before that I was a full time student, trying to juggle internships and jobs and planning for my future while keeping up good grades. In high school I was called "the over-achiever" because of all my extra curriculars plus AP classes, plus picking up extra instruments just for fun. And as far back as I can remember, dinner table discussions were focused on anger: over Bush, the cost of my dance classes, or what my grandmother said to piss off my mom that week.
Our lives have been focused on fear-mongering. And no, I'm not going on a Bush rant now (though who knows, maybe some day I will). I'm talking about parents, teachers, family friends. My junior and senior years, everyone wanted to know where I wanted to go to college, and it was unacceptable to answer that I wasn't particularly looking forward to more school. My whole adolescent life was spent living up to other's expectations. And though it felt that way at the time, I know I wasn't alone in those feelings. We all needed an escape. Many (let's not lie, most) of the people I know turned to alcohol (yes, some of us as early as 8th or 9th grade). Escape the glaring, judging eye of the parents, and get wasted…then spend the rest of the evening joking about stupid shit you come up with while wasted (and some of those inside jokes live on today).
But we also turn to our own fantasy pop-culture (by the way, I include Gossip Girls and crappy music in fantasy). We want to see these perfect lives we could have…we could be dating the perfect gentleman, Nate Archibald, or the even more perfect (and even more gorgeous) Edward Cullen, even if we're as plain (or annoying) as Venessa or Bella; we could start our own business at 15, and run away and live with friends; we can start a band with our friends and tour the country (without those pesky parents), even if we aren't the next John Lennon.
So what's the point? I dunno. But I'm sick of people telling me the things I watch or read or listen to are crap. I know. But when I'm in the mood to feel like I'm 16 again, escaping the pressures of AP English, I'm still going to turn to them.
www.stepheniemeyer.com/
www.myspace.com/alltimelow
Exhibit A: Gossip Girls. It's Dawson's Creek meets Cruel Intentions. Neither of which were good, but enjoyable. Gossip Girls doesn't have amazing acting, or great scripts. Even the premise makes me want to rip out my hair: a bunch of rich kids running around New York complaining about how their daddy took their T-Bird away…and instead *only* gave them a private limo and a vespa, a Guchi bag and a shopping spree at some Paris designer store. It says that the abuse of money is ok, and that our culture – so focused on the public and humiliating downfall of celebrities – is entertaining and worth our time. It's horrible. And I should hate it. But I almost cried when Jenny showed up for Thanksgiving dinner, and I could not speak when Blair had sex with Chuck. Because I am completely addicted to Gossip Girls.
Exhibit B: Twilight. Horribly written. I'm sure the movie's not gonna be much better. The plots are ridiculous, and the fact that the first book should really be two books, as there are two separate stories contained in the book (the love story and mystery of the Cullen family, then the hunt for Bella) drives me crazy every time I read it (and yes, I have read it multiple times, once while reading Edward's version at the same time). There is no amazing theme like the Harry Potter books, such as questioning the definition of good and evil. But I love me some Twilight, and I already bought my tickets for 12:01am Friday morning for the first movie.
Exhibit C: Pop-Punk, case in point, All Time Low. Though they have grown up a small amount since I first saw them, for the most part they're still the high-school pranksters that idolize the dick and fart jokes of Blink-182. They can play better than some crappy garage bands…but that's not saying much. They can write some fun and pretty lyrics, but they're no "Beatles" writing "Imagine." But I have seen them now 18 times, and have driven 3+ hours to see them.
I have been told – by more than one person - that my generation has great crap-detectors. The reason why people stopped paying attention to us was because they didn't know how to sell us stuff. But somehow, these crappy things are getting through. Because I watch Gossip Girl every Monday night, and I've spent probably more than 50 bucks on Twilight *before* the $10 movie tickets, and god knows I'm still spending money on All Time Low concert tickets (as well as Boys Like Girls, Valencia, Cobra Starship, Cute is What We Aim For…).
The only explanation I have is pretty obvious: because they're fun. I work in Beverly Hills, and live in Monterey Park. I'm out of my house from 8am to almost 8pm. Before that I was a full time student, trying to juggle internships and jobs and planning for my future while keeping up good grades. In high school I was called "the over-achiever" because of all my extra curriculars plus AP classes, plus picking up extra instruments just for fun. And as far back as I can remember, dinner table discussions were focused on anger: over Bush, the cost of my dance classes, or what my grandmother said to piss off my mom that week.
Our lives have been focused on fear-mongering. And no, I'm not going on a Bush rant now (though who knows, maybe some day I will). I'm talking about parents, teachers, family friends. My junior and senior years, everyone wanted to know where I wanted to go to college, and it was unacceptable to answer that I wasn't particularly looking forward to more school. My whole adolescent life was spent living up to other's expectations. And though it felt that way at the time, I know I wasn't alone in those feelings. We all needed an escape. Many (let's not lie, most) of the people I know turned to alcohol (yes, some of us as early as 8th or 9th grade). Escape the glaring, judging eye of the parents, and get wasted…then spend the rest of the evening joking about stupid shit you come up with while wasted (and some of those inside jokes live on today).
But we also turn to our own fantasy pop-culture (by the way, I include Gossip Girls and crappy music in fantasy). We want to see these perfect lives we could have…we could be dating the perfect gentleman, Nate Archibald, or the even more perfect (and even more gorgeous) Edward Cullen, even if we're as plain (or annoying) as Venessa or Bella; we could start our own business at 15, and run away and live with friends; we can start a band with our friends and tour the country (without those pesky parents), even if we aren't the next John Lennon.
So what's the point? I dunno. But I'm sick of people telling me the things I watch or read or listen to are crap. I know. But when I'm in the mood to feel like I'm 16 again, escaping the pressures of AP English, I'm still going to turn to them.
www.stepheniemeyer.com/
www.myspace.com/alltimelow
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The scary first post...
Saturday night, I went to a concert for two reasons: one was to see Anarbor, the band who's record label (Hopeless) I had interned for. The other was to see The Scenic, a Philly band who I just found out about, who play with another Philly band (The Great American Soundtrack) that I really like. I had seen this show Thursday night (with the Hopeless crew, a really cool group of 20-30 somethings who were nothing but welcoming when I worked there...just had to give them some props), which is when I heard about the Scenic.
Side note: Though this was not the story I intended to talk about, I was talking to one of the band members - Dan - before and after the show, and he had asked me to stick around and watch them, and after the show he came up to me and gave me a big hug when he found out I stayed. I mean really, how adorable is it that they gave someone a hug just for sticking around for their set. That's what gets you a hard core fan base of 16 year olds who will do nothing but promote your band. Anyway...This is when I found out that his old band had opened for All Time Low (another Hopeless band) when they did an acoustic tour a year and a half ago, back in the days when they were stoked to fill a Church basement, as they had only been to Philly once before. Small world.
Anyway, the point of this first post is this: as I was watching the opening band Saturday night, I had a thought. A revelation, if you will. And I called *myself* blasphemous for this thought. Because it really is pretty bad. The thought was this: the problem with Blink-182 is that they made every kid think he could start a band. And many of these kids did. And I was now being forced to sit through their crappy music, because there were no in-and-outs at the show.
Now, the blasphemy of this statement is the assumption that there was *anything* wrong with Blink-182. To anyone over the age of, say, 25, this does not seem blasphemous. In fact, most of them would probably say that Blink-182 was a crappy band, with an annoying lead singer, who broke up because they were whiney, and no one cared. This may be true, but that's not the point. The point, for those of us under 25, was that they were *us*. They made it cool to be a teenager and do stupid shit (like running down the street in your underwear). They made it ok to think about and talk about suicide. They made us stop and enjoy ourselves, our friends, our lives. Something that most of us didn't do, as we were stressed with school, getting into college, dealing with our parents, dealing with Bush.
The point of this whole ramble? Well, in having my revalation, I didn't have anyone to tell it to. My roommates don't like the music I like, my sister is over the whole pop-punk scene (she introduced me to Good Charlotte when I was about 13, then started calming down her tastes), my friends at home were all asleep by this time, and even if they weren't most of them wouldn't care.
But I wanted to get my ramble out. I ramble a lot, and like anger, I feel it unhealthy to keep all this bottled up.
A few weeks ago, my mom suggested I ask Bob Lefsetz (friend of the family and author of the Lefsetz letter, an email blog thing that gets sent across the music industry) to write a "guest collumn" of sorts for him, try to build up my name and credibility before I try to start my own label. I laughed her off - I am not the type of person with the balls to flat out ask for something like that - but the idea of writing a music blog has been stuck in my head ever since.
And so here it is. My strange version of a music blog. My random thoughts about new bands, shows I've seen, which band members are pissing me off this week (mostly because of lead singer syndrom....but that's for another time), and whatever the hell else I'll talk about (this week I'm sure it will be Twilight...and yes, I already have my ticket for the 12:01am show). My guess is, I'll write a total of 3 blogs, which no one will read, and I'll get bored and stop. But just in case anyone decides to read this, I figured the first post should explain (at least in a way that makes sense to me) why I started writing it in the first place.
Side note: Though this was not the story I intended to talk about, I was talking to one of the band members - Dan - before and after the show, and he had asked me to stick around and watch them, and after the show he came up to me and gave me a big hug when he found out I stayed. I mean really, how adorable is it that they gave someone a hug just for sticking around for their set. That's what gets you a hard core fan base of 16 year olds who will do nothing but promote your band. Anyway...This is when I found out that his old band had opened for All Time Low (another Hopeless band) when they did an acoustic tour a year and a half ago, back in the days when they were stoked to fill a Church basement, as they had only been to Philly once before. Small world.
Anyway, the point of this first post is this: as I was watching the opening band Saturday night, I had a thought. A revelation, if you will. And I called *myself* blasphemous for this thought. Because it really is pretty bad. The thought was this: the problem with Blink-182 is that they made every kid think he could start a band. And many of these kids did. And I was now being forced to sit through their crappy music, because there were no in-and-outs at the show.
Now, the blasphemy of this statement is the assumption that there was *anything* wrong with Blink-182. To anyone over the age of, say, 25, this does not seem blasphemous. In fact, most of them would probably say that Blink-182 was a crappy band, with an annoying lead singer, who broke up because they were whiney, and no one cared. This may be true, but that's not the point. The point, for those of us under 25, was that they were *us*. They made it cool to be a teenager and do stupid shit (like running down the street in your underwear). They made it ok to think about and talk about suicide. They made us stop and enjoy ourselves, our friends, our lives. Something that most of us didn't do, as we were stressed with school, getting into college, dealing with our parents, dealing with Bush.
The point of this whole ramble? Well, in having my revalation, I didn't have anyone to tell it to. My roommates don't like the music I like, my sister is over the whole pop-punk scene (she introduced me to Good Charlotte when I was about 13, then started calming down her tastes), my friends at home were all asleep by this time, and even if they weren't most of them wouldn't care.
But I wanted to get my ramble out. I ramble a lot, and like anger, I feel it unhealthy to keep all this bottled up.
A few weeks ago, my mom suggested I ask Bob Lefsetz (friend of the family and author of the Lefsetz letter, an email blog thing that gets sent across the music industry) to write a "guest collumn" of sorts for him, try to build up my name and credibility before I try to start my own label. I laughed her off - I am not the type of person with the balls to flat out ask for something like that - but the idea of writing a music blog has been stuck in my head ever since.
And so here it is. My strange version of a music blog. My random thoughts about new bands, shows I've seen, which band members are pissing me off this week (mostly because of lead singer syndrom....but that's for another time), and whatever the hell else I'll talk about (this week I'm sure it will be Twilight...and yes, I already have my ticket for the 12:01am show). My guess is, I'll write a total of 3 blogs, which no one will read, and I'll get bored and stop. But just in case anyone decides to read this, I figured the first post should explain (at least in a way that makes sense to me) why I started writing it in the first place.
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